


A Hard Choice

by Kapnobatai



Category: The Hollow (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst, Drinking, Everyone is in big trouble, Gen, Gustaf-centered story, I wanted to write about the real-world characters, I'll definitely write about everyone's backstory, Minor romance implied but it won't be the core of this fic, Season 2 spoilers, Smoking, Suspense, some canon divergence, there's some swearing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-17
Updated: 2020-05-21
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:01:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,630
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24229291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kapnobatai/pseuds/Kapnobatai
Summary: Gustaf had an ideal life. Hosting every competition of a groundbreaking behemoth in the videogame industry, while becoming a major celebrity meant the world to him.Unfortunately, he was never prepared to discover what The Hollow really was, who were behind it, and most importantly, the choices he would be forced to make in order to take down an enemy he might have never imagined. Suddenly, his dream life becomes his worst nightmare.
Comments: 9
Kudos: 33





	1. On a Fateful Day

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! This is my first story after many years of going silent. I have been reading and trying to improve at writing, and after watching this show, I instantly fell in love with it. The story pulled me in so hard I decided to finally get back into fanfiction, and this is my first step back into this wonderful place. There are a lot of potential plots to explore after S2, I wanted to give my five cents on what happens before, during, and after the events of both seasons. I hope you enjoy it!

It was yet another soon-to-be memorable Hollow session.

Or so Gustaf thought. His impression of the teams standing before him was one of a beautiful, yet intricate story. An unraveling drama of sorts; perhaps with a small stain of a rather complex past.

Ever since high school he considered himself an inquisitive man, ready to pry inside other people’s minds, it was an unconscious challenge he made himself. He enjoyed guessing about their personalities, their behaviors. Had he not chosen the path of fame, he would have tried his best to become a prolific psychologist.

And carefully examining the six teens, he was ready to start his short-lived analysis. So, Team 1, he decided...

“Adam! What a name!” He leaned forward, and took an enjoyment in watching the eldest of the team take a step back in discomfort. He smirked, as his positioning helped him.

“The First Man, the foundation of humanity” His smile grew when his target widened his eyes, surprised about this new fact. The latino boy did not know what to answer to this seemingly useless knowledge.

“Uh- Thanks? I guess…” He tried to smile, looking for a way to stop the man from extending the conversation.

“And as the foundation, you will be essential for your team. You will be what holds them **together**!” He increased his volume, turning towards the audience. They cheered as he expected.

The teenager took that compliment lightly, and joining them, he gave a confident applause.

“Now, let’s move on to… Mira!” Gustaf raised his free hand, hoping his voice would boost her morale. The girl gave a shy giggle while greeting the audience by waving her hand.

“Let’s get to know you...” He lowered his shades. “Why are you here today?”

“Well, to play The Hollow! Why else would I be here?” She retaliated with a smug gesture.

The audience laughed.  Gustaf  pulled the neck of his stripped shirt, fidgeting with it while trying to come up with a clever response. However, time was not on his side.

“… Don’t we have some of the funniest contestants here?” The audience nodded.

“You know what I'm talking about Mira, **everyone** seeks to win something more than just the right to claim the Maze Trophy for themselves” He pointed at the beautifully crafted trophy, whose pristine white light and ethereal frame caught the gaze of the six participants. The crystal clear glass gave off a subtle similarity to ice, which matched perfectly the ebony black base. The golden plaque was untouched, ready to be forever engraved with the names of the victorious team that would emerge from the game.

Adam  then  exchanged a displeased look with one of the boys from the rival team. Gustaf carefully stared at their  surfacing tension. He  mentally took note of that. 

“Well, we always considered ourselves a great team! Always there for each other… Winning this would be really cool” Mira turned to Adam, winked at him, then turned again to face the audience and the cameras.

_Why didn’t she look at the redhead with the same enthusiasm?_ The man wondered.

“...And maybe my fathers and my dumb brother, IloveyouMiles… Uh- they might be watching me right now, so this one goes out to them too” Mira’s speech made the audience groan audibly.

“Soo… **beautiful**!” Gustaf clapped in approval. “Thank you, Mira”

He took a few steps, moving towards the last member of Team A.

“And, last but not least…” He pointed the microphone towards the young teen.

“K-Kai! Yeah, t-thats my name…” The redhead mentally punched himself. Seriously, was he doubting his own name? _In front of millions of people, no less. Mom and dad would be disappointed, as always._

“Well, K-Kai!” Gustaf imitated his stutters in a mocking fashion, but quickly stopped when he realized the boy seemingly took it to heart.

“… Sorry…” The game host apologized with a low voice, knowing he had a short couple of seconds before he had to turn and face the people behind.

K ai nodded. Gustaf cleared his throat.

“Tell me Kai, how would you describe your team? Why should this lovely audience and those watching us at home root for you and your friends?” He waved his entire arm in a huge motion towards the crowd.

Kai took a deep breath, he hated being exposed like this. Despite his intelligence, he barely participated in class, letting others take the spotlight. Now that the attention was focused on him, he felt himself like a deer caught in front of the headlights, ones attached to a big truck.

“Because we’re awesome!” He quickly heard a loud chuckle coming from his right. Moving his eyes to meet the source, he caught a blonde teen trying to suppress his laughter in between snorts. _Definitely pathetic, why did you say that?_

“A-also because Adam and Mira are very skilled! Uh, and well I guess I’m good at the game, too”

“O-kay” Gustaf followed him. “But your rivals are skilled too! Otherwise they wouldn’t be here…” He trailed off, pointing at the unamused trio.

“Maybe we are more skilled than them.” Kai shrugged. He turned to see the girl and the black boy glaring daggers at him with their eyes. The blonde was laughing sarcastically with his arms crossed.

_Dang it._

From the other side, the perspective wasn’t much better. Adam gave him a disapprov ing look, while Mira quickly pulled hi m closer.

“Kai, please, let’s get cocky AFTER we win, okay?” She released him, before playfully smiling. He was glad she did not take the words too seriously.

Ah, some good ol’ banter. Gustaf enjoyed it, he admitted he sometimes took amusement in enjoying the schadenfreude of a good fight. He loved instigating a competitive spirit among the participants, but he also was careful when balancing his words to not let things get out of control. 

_ Okay Gus, keep the drama inside the game, not outside. _

“Whoa! It seems we got some young experts here, eh?” He patted Kai on the shoulder while winking at him.

“I wonder what do the others think about that?” He slid across the floor in a graceful manner, then he promptly stopped in front of the second team.

T he teenage girl almost ripped the microphone from his hands.

“Well, I think that’s like, just his opinion” The girl gave him a cold grin. “Gotta let the kid dream, right?”

Kai felt a  metaphorical knife twisting inside his body, if he ever could imagine such scenario . Something about this girl’s tone was  unnerving him . He wanted to ignore her badly.

“I mean, you look at him and tell me he will make it past the first level” Damn. She knew where to strike.

Her partners let out a loud “ Damn !” in unison before laughing at Kai.

“Geez!” Gustaf instantly went into damage control mode. “It seems things **are heating up** between our contestants!” He laughed nervously while scanning the public. He made a quick gesture with his hand, signaling the production team to immediately end the transmission and start playing the ads. 

A carefully hidden intercom plugged in his right ear buzzed for a brief moment.

* * *

“Don’t. We proceed as usual... Social media are all over this Gus, let’s have them throwing dirt at each other for a while.”

“Come on, that was too much!” He covered his mouth, scolding the man behind the intercom.

“We’ve already talked this through, Gus. You know people enjoy this stuff, they want a bloodbath in the game… Let’s give them what they want.”

“Yeah, but this is not the damn game.”

“The game starts when the teams sign up for the competition.” The voice coldly replied

“Fine. Fuck you.” Gustaf hated swearing in his everyday talk, but he was no stranger to such words. 

U nfortunately his boss es, well, owners  at this point  knew how to push his buttons. He knew damn well he was working for ethically questionable people. 

He had sold his soul to the devil, and the devil came in the form of a n unique videogame, six  investors in  fancy suits, and  the promise of a perfect life within the lines of a contract .

“…Er- maybe Kai did not meant to be offensive…” Gustaf tried to amend things a bit between the contestants. Before the girl could resume roasting the boy, the host spoke.

“So, how about you tell us a bit about yourself?”

“Well... Hello guys! I am Vanessa, I love French, my two cats, and my family!” Her expression quickly transformed to that of a seemingly adorable girl.

“And of course I wish our rivals the best of luck in the game~”

“Now that’s the spirit!” Gustaf cheered. Vanessa felt the sudden urge to slap the shades out of his face.

“Alright, ladies and gentlemen, let’s move on to...!” He elongated the final vowel while graciously tip-toeing towards the next teen.

“Reeve.” The black boy was cutting and stern in his response.

“Thanks Reeve! Tell us, what made you and your friends come here today?”

It only took nanoseconds for him to turn his head towards Adam. His face became the very  embodiment of “Rage”. Gustaf gulped, discreetly  wiping the sweat off his forehead with his light teal scarf.

_ I am losing my mind in this show, just to have two little shits ruin my show! _

Reeve closed his eyes for two seconds, before inhaling and focusing his destructive energy into trying to come up with a decent response for a man who had nothing to do with an old conflict.

“We just formed this team a week ago, but I think we can win this game. My friends and I are ready to give our best to win, and I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for them. We are winning this one!” 

He confidently clenched his fist while driving his elbow downwards.

An awkward pause  took place.

“Yeah, don’t think so” Taunted the distant voice of a familiar latino boy.  


“Hey man, why don’t you come and say it to my face?!” Reeve lashed out. 

A long “Ooh”  came from the audience.

“Maybe I **DO** ” Adam was ready to jump at Reeve. Much to Gustaf's relief he was held in place, although barely, by a serious Mira and a trembling Kai.

* * *

Gustaf seized the  opportunity being off camera. He pressed a small button located underneath his jacket.  


“Seriously this is getting out of control. Can we please cut to the fucking ads for once?!” He tried to sound stern while at the same time keeping a low volume.

“They are not getting physical, therefore it’s fair game, part of the show.” The man at the other side insisted.

“They are almost at each others’ throats for God’s sake!” 

“ **Gustaf**. You are not listening to me. We are airing this, period.”

“Are you kidding me?!” He cried out. “This is not okay, at all”

“The ratings say otherwise.” Now a feminine voice emerged from the intercom,  her tone was no friendlier than her colleague’s. “Our numbers are skyrocketing on every platform.”

“Come on!”

The male voice once again intervened. “Ugh... Alright, just go interview the last participant and we’ll call in the ads, okay?”

“Please.” Gustaf turned to see the tension had started to fade out.

“Promise. That last kid looks chill, so you’ve got it easy.”

Gustaf combed his hair with his free hand, walking towards the blonde teen.

He scratched his elbow, looking at his teammates with insecurity.

“And for our last member of Team B, let us all give a warm welcome to-”

“… Skeet, ‘sup!” For some reason Gustaf thought the kid was forming another name with his mouth, but he dismissed the thought.

_ Who the hell names their kid- _

“Nice to meet you Skeet!” He cheered “And hey, it rhymes with speed, so I guess we have a daredevil in here!”

Skeet giggled in excitement, as if he was seven years younger.

“Dude, you’re spot on! I love skating, oh, and parkour too!” He bounced.

“Ahaha! That’s amazing! I bet you already chose your special power then, huh?” Gustaf gently nudged him with his elbow.

Skeet pointed finger guns at him  with the most honest smile Gustaf had seen in this team.

“Excellent! Before I give you the rules and you jump into the game, how about we have a short pause” Gustaf pointed at the camera crew. They nodded silently, and he received the confirmation via his intercom.

He let out a loud sigh, before walking towards Reeve. He immediately called Adam with his hand.

* * *

“I don't know, and trust me, don’t care about whatever beef you have with each other, but this is **my show** , and I am **not** having any of your stupid teenage drama while people are watching” He was infuriated, with his expression making both teens flinch.

“Here’s the deal: You act like civilized people, I promise I’ll be an angel, a handsome one might I add… Or I swear I’ll make this run a pain in the ass for both of you.” He enforced an iron grip on their shoulders.

Adam and Reeve stared at each other, silently exchanging thousands of death threats per second, or so Gustaf though. They then turned to look at him, and apologized.

_Glad things always work out in the end, you are the best Gus!_ The host claimed in his head.

“By the way, you may do whatever you want with each other in the game.” He slapped their backs with a loud blow, causing two loud groans of discomfort and a protest from Adam.

“Two minutes, time to gather your teams and give them a tearjerking speech. After we come back online, I am explaining the rules, you will accept, then you are connecting to the game. Got it?”

“We’re not stupid, y’know” Reeve retaliated

“Agreed, you’re saying it like we’ve been living under a rock.” Adam scoffed. “I have seen other competitions before”

“ **G** **reat then** , that means you already know how much of an insufferable jerk I can turn into once we are all inside the game.” He was done with their attitude. 

“...And you don’t want your friends to accidentally step on landmines, right?”

A dam and Reeve sighed.

“Fine, you win” Both conceded.

“Glad to see we are on the same terms.” He adjusted his burgundy blazer and moved towards the middle of the stage.

* * *

“Alright! Time to go live baby!” He raised his index finger, spinning it midair in a commanding fashion. The cameramen went back to their equipment, giving him a thumbs up a few seconds after.

“Okay, now that our amazing competitors have introduced themselves, I will explain the rules!”

“Everyone knows The Hollow, in fact, I am confident that if you’re a true Hollow fan-” He gave out a big smile for his audience. 

“-Then you have a copy sitting at home. But unlike your version, we have a little extra stuff, to spice things up!”

“Our contestants will have their memories wiped!” He faked an evil laughter, much to everyone’s exasperation. Kai and Skeet facepalmed, while Mira and Reeve groaned. Adam and Vanessa simply shrugged it off.

“But fear not, for our technology is safe! The memory wipe will only last while our participants stay in the game. After we have our happy winners, everything will go back to normal!”

“In addition, other electronic devices are **NOT** allowed in the game. This includes, but is not limited to, phones, smartwatches, high-tech glasses or eyewear, music players and headphones.”

Vanessa stared at the floor for a few seconds, then blinked and stared back at Gustaf.

“If you need help from me, simply shout for help. I will come into the game and help you, but be careful! You may only use my help a few times, then you will be all by yourselves.”

“And that’s everything! As always, good luck and have fun! You are already earning a special place in my heart, we are off to an exciting game!”

The six teens walked over to their seats. Kai couldn’t help but notice the thick cables behind. Were these necessary?

_Of course they are, what’s with stupid question, Kai?_

They comfortably took their seats, and waited  for the game to begin. The holographic  VR equipments started humming, getting ready to bring their magic into the show.

_ Here we go.  _ Vanessa felt an urging sensation to call a timeout. A sudden sense of regret invaded her, and she asked herself whether she was about to do the correct thing.  _ Just win and let’s get this over with, do this for Reeve _ _. _

Gustaf walked over to the main camera. Doing his best to come up with a mysterious and unsettling aura, he slowly trailed towards the lens. The colored lights in the auditorium bathed his pale skin, giving the impression he was born blue.

“And now, the game begins.” He snapped his fingers loudly.

“Transfer complete. No major issues to report.” A modest voice interrupted the silence inside a dimly lit room. Three rows, each with five manned computers were ordered in front of a huge screen. Far back in the room and separated from the first section stood an elevated area, illuminating with a warm and discrete orange light a wide table and six seats. An equal number of looming figures casted their shadows over the wooden surface. The faint sounds of clashing glasses filled with drinks echoed in the room.

“To another successful match, ladies and gentlemen” The same man who spoke to Gustaf earlier cheered.


	2. Hollow Games Studio

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the middle of the competition, things take an interesting when Gustaf notices something strange going on with Team B while he reminisces about his earlier days working for the Studio, back when he was happy about his job. It was the beginning of his disenchantment towards his employers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter I aimed for less dialogue and longer, heavier paragraphs. It feels at times difficult for me trying to find a comfortable middle ground between each style, but I think I can start getting less rusty with each chapter. I hope you enjoy it! Also, many thanks for the kudos and the comments, I love seeing these reactions.

Nobody really gave a damn about the origins of Hollow Games, LLC. They simply appeared out of thin air, ten years ago. Even stranger the fact that their one and only product only debuted three years after the company was made. And yet, only a few handful of people ever found unusual the state-of-art technology the videogame was built on.

This company, they had brought a real tough challenge to the table. News press covered them, everywhere in the world. The Hollow was a global phenomenon, whether people would love it or hate it, really did not matter. It was free PR for the owners. They hired and selected the nicest faces to act as their front, young and enthusiastic millennial members of the staff always represented them at interviews, cons, podcasts.

The Maze logo became iconic. People could share their favorite replays and pictures to social media of their favorite levels. The VR environments were breathtaking.

And the next logical step, at least in the eyes of the “Big Six” – term coined by Gustaf – was to keep a young, energetic image by hosting a series of big, attractive tournaments. The Hollow Challenge, known better as simply “The Hollow” –the commercial version was known as “Hollow Home”–, came to life. With an eccentric yet appealing man in his early thirties hosting the show, and the willing attention of hundreds of teenagers, the plan was set in motion.

The selection process was a work in progress, with each year getting increasingly more efficient and less cluttered. First of all, a ladder system was developed along with a Matchmaking Rank-based score, those who reached a certain level were allowed to participate in more challenging online sessions. The minimum age to participate was 13 years old, with consent of the parents – or caretakers –. The average age of the contestants was 16, but the first champions were a trio of dorky, seemingly harmless young adults whose youngest member was 19.

It was the infamous “Submarine” world. Instead of the diverse and vibrant world our current teams were situated in, the past game took place entirely in a huge underwater complex, where a countdown was set into motion once all of the six participants woke up; the teams had one hour to solve a series of puzzles, defeat a robotic pirate captain and his henchmen, then reach the surface before the countdown reached zero.

Team A chose Pyrokinesis, Tech Proficiency and Super Speed. Team B went off with Telekinesis, Water Affinity and Electrokinesis.

Surprisingly the six participants joined forces once the first levels were cleared, which earned the love of the audience. Yet, a dark plot twist took place right before the ending. Team A surfaced first, then sealed the entrance with fire and left the remaining team at their peril. People were outraged, and the three champions received in due a bittersweet lesson in the form of online harassment. Other spectators instead came to absolutely love their performance, even so far as making merch with their faces and names, constantly begging them for autographs; in later phases, this excessive love became stalking. Crowds of excited kids and teens asked them to take pictures with them and to give them any advice to win at future competitions.

It was then that Gustaf decided not to ask about the participants’ surnames, and the teams thereafter were advised by the company to turn their social profiles private during the games. The first champions faded into obscurity, and stepped aside to let others enjoy part of their glory. Only other four teams had tasted that sweet flavor in the following years.

He could not bear to talk to his bosses or coworkers that week. He blamed himself for the negative effect the game had on the first competitors.

He was glad at least they ended in good terms with their rivals, back when he contacted them. It was a short call, but he made sure they were fine, and they appreciated the gesture. Gustaf promised himself he would keep in touch with every single person who took part in the game, he felt it was a self-imposed duty to check up on their mental health and to be as friendly as a generic handsome guy with a faceless consortium behind him could possibly be.

He wondered whether the past teams were watching this one.

_They were, definitely_. The Hollow Challenge is tons of harmless fun... If you are not participating.

It was not pleasant, however, to see a bunch of confused teenagers tossed into the fray, as if they were gladiators. Especially not if, in addition, they were also clueless about what was going on. Gustaf shook his head, and decided to dismiss his inner monologue while he took a peek at the screens behind him.

* * *

Something was not right about Team B.

Both Gustaf and the team of software developers came to the conclusion.

The show host had experienced already five tournaments in the past. He was getting fooled by no one. The fastest run was completed by a quite popular e-celeb: Gretchen Aguilar. And yet, she had shortcomings. She got stuck when learning to use her powers, she got into arguments and drama with her teammates which hindered their progress, then she almost lost everything when the final boss caught them. She cried, she felt she was about to surrender, and then she stood up. At that moment she realized her "lucky charm" was not simply a cute little piece of jewelry, but it was literally the amuled she had to use to win the fight. She defeated the giant and rescued her teammates by herself. Their final time was 1:57:28.

Meanwhile, Vanessa and company already had 80 percent of the map revealed, with the prized Ishibo in their hands. And it was only 59:23 according to the clock. Well, 59:26.

This girl kept figuring everything out so fast, as if she knew she was placed there somehow.

* * *

There was an unsettling tension in the air, back inside the control room.

“Did you see that?” One of the programmers pointed out. “Man, that’s unnatural…”

“Are th-... Are they cheating?” Another dared to question.

“That’s a serious claim you’re making, boy…” A man sounding in his 60's claimed from behind the computers. His voice was strict, sharp, _military-like_.

Everyone working at the Studio had learned the rumors about big people backing this project. Pseudo-sentient AI, and ultra-realistic environment simulations were no joke in terms of technical prowess.

“W-well, I wasn’t implying anything!” The young developer adjusted his glasses.

“I told you guys! A staff is WAY obvious, like, at that point why not make it an overdesigned sword?” His colleague complained.

“What do you suggest then, Diertkai?” Replied his partner.

“How about a hidden bazooka? For the next world...” The first guy trailed off.

“Wow, really creative!” The second programmer pinched his nose, dripping sarcasm from his voice.

“No- I mean, you can conceal it! Like, you can place it inside a place nobody would look inside, like some old, boring mansion...” The dorky man explained, waving his hands in excitement.

"...So players don't care about this one... But turns out it is actually a super cool secret lab! With Frankenstein aesthetics!"

“Hmm, make Dr. Frankenstein a Frenchman and I'm sold!” Replied his partner.

“Can you two focus on this game please?” Another of the higher-ups called from behind. The same woman who spoke to Gustaf earlier.

“Y-yeah, of course!” The pair of programers replied in unison before returning to their duty.

“Keep the game up, don’t do anything unless it threatens the game itself.” She demanded. “If this team is really cheating, then we disqualify them… After the tournament. Ending the match right now will only ruin the ratings”

“Agreed. Eyes on the game, you lazy code monkeys.” Her colleague added.

_Code Monkeys_. Ouch. Offensive but simple.

Management wants terms simple and easy to remember, and they did not really care about the devs’ feelings. They eventually compensated with a juicy benefits package. Meanwhile, they easily got away with out-of-tone nicknames and unpleasant work conditions. And of course, having "I worked at Hollow Games" inscribed onto your CV was a sure way to skyrocket your own career.

* * *

Back at the Auditorium, Gustaf carefully studied the performance of Vanessa, Reeve and Skeet, realizing it was a bit abnormal. Speedrunning was a classic thing in the commercial version of The Hollow, as it was fairly easy to do without getting one’s memories wiped. But the purpose of this special edition was to offer the audience a true quality story, almost like a movie. It was spectacular, it drew the attention of youngsters and elders alike. It was “Reality show meets Fantasy”, the videogame. And people wouldn’t enjoy if said show ended shortly. Fortunately, Adam and Mira had fallen into a pitfall trap that was set in the middle of a graveyard, which made the audience cry out in surprise.

Gustaf chuckled when he saw the graveyards. _These nerds._ As a cheesy reference from the coding team, all of the graveyards contained the names of the entire workers at the Studio, and some of them were - without notice - turned into zombies. Wild West zombies, nonetheless.

As the story seemingly took a big twist when Kai unwillingly joined them, Gustaf decided the timing was perfect to intervene. He entered in a small room behind the six participants and closed the door, surrounding himself with a set of round interactive screens, whose high maneuverability allowed him to “step” into the Hollow without the need to put on a VR headset. He had developed a massive fear of hyperrealism, recalling the time he tested a “roller coaster sim” the programmers created back in the early development days. He almost threw up after the ride, and didn’t enjoy getting frightened by the sudden movements.

Wearing a special pair of gloves, he was ready to pay a short visit to Team B. He knew the redhead was going to summon him. Kai was more of a hostage rather than a friend. He would cry for help at any moment.

Gustaf was counting on that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I hope this chapter did not feel too cluttered or heavy to the eyes. I would like your feedback on this one, as I mentioned above I am trying to find again a nice style for my writing. I have been thinking about writing another less serious, more lighthearted story.

**Author's Note:**

> And that's it for the first chapter! I have so many ideas to explore with the show, however, for now I will be focusing exclusively on this story. Thanks for reading!


End file.
